His Puzzle
by CheetahLiv
Summary: Elliot prayed that it was just an embarrassed intern who had found her. But no, it was Dr. Cox. And judging by his words, he knew exactly what she had been contemplating that day. T for SI thoughts, non-explicit. Oneshot, Cox/Elliot. Please review!


**Hi there! Me again! So inspiration is apparently very fickle--I didn't update His Heart Failure for like 2 weeks, and then this story pops into my head the same night? Craziness! Anyway, this is one of my favorite pairings, Elliot and Dr. Cox, although they're not a couple in this. Set around season 5 or 6, sometime in there. Enjoy, and as always, please review!**

**Disc: I own nothing.  
**

Elliot sighed, pulling the door to the on-call room closed behind her and leaning her back up against it. She ran a hand through her hair, then pushed off of the door and collapsed on the nearest bed. Lying down, she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. If only she could catch a few hours sleep, it would make the rest of her 24 hour shift that much more bearable.

She hasn't had to pull such a long shift since her days as an intern, but one of her patients has been close to a code all day, and she felt the need to stay in the hospital to make sure he pulled through. This is one of the few times since she switched to private practice that she's actually slept in the on-call room, and she definitely didn't miss the scratchy sheets, rough blankets, and the cacophony of noise that, even in the dead of night, pervaded the hospital. In spite of the rough conditions, she was just about to drift off when the door was pushed open, almost violently. She snapped her head to the doorway, squinting as the bright lights from the corridor silhouetted the dark figure in the frame. She didn't have long to wonder who the intruder was, as he called out loudly, "BARBIE!"

She sat up quickly, the blood rushing from her head making her head swim for a moment. Cox flipped the light switch, bathing the room in a fluorescent glow. She groaned, the sudden addition of light not helping her spontaneous headache. "Frick!" she muttered, glaring at Cox, now leaning against the door. "What do you want, Dr. Cox?" she asked, irritated.

Cox frowned at her, then stepped fully inside the room, shutting the door behind him. He strode over to stand in front of her, flicking his nose before resuming his one-sided staring contest. Quiet for a moment, during which Elliot gave him a puzzled look, he broke the silence by saying, "Well now, Barbie, did I interrupt your beauty sleep? Oh well, wouldn't have helped you much anyway. Guess you'll just have to load on the makeup and dress in those short skirts and stilettos that you insist on wearing as a private practice doctor because you think they make you look professional, but the truth is, Barbie, that no amount of makeup and slutty clothes are going to make you a professional."

Elliot was stung by the harsher-than-usual rant. He'd always made fun of her appearance, but that was back in her intern days—he'd pretty much left her alone when she switched to private practice. Determined not to let his words affect her, she rose from the bed to come face-to-face with the older man.

"Listen, Dr. Cox," she began angrily, "what gives you the right to just barge in here and insult me? In case you hadn't noticed, I'm an attending too. And I'm over you calling me names and ranting about my 'incompetence' as a doctor. If you think I'm just going to sit here and take it, then you're wrong. I'm leaving." She pushed past him and was almost to the door when Cox grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him and pushing her back flush against the wall.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice dangerously low. She struggled against him, but Cox's grip held fast.

"Let go of me," she replied, her jaw clenched. Cox just shook his head.

"Sorry, no can do, Barbie. I need to talk to you."

"Oh yeah? What about? What could the high and mighty Percival Cox have to talk to me about?" she asked mockingly.

He released her abruptly and stepped back, motioning for her to sit on the bed. Cradling her wrist, she cast a wary glance at him as she obliged. Cox heaved a sigh, then began pacing in front of her. "Look, Elliot," he began, and her eyes snapped up to meet his, "I know what you've been doing. It was me who caught you the other day in the supply closet." She paled, her heart thumping furiously in her chest. "You must have thought it was locked, but it obviously wasn't as I barged in and, well, you know…" he trailed off, uncharacteristically lost for words.

Elliot closed her eyes, mortified. She had been in the supply closet, clutching a razor blade with trembling fingers, debating whether or not to go through with her plan, when the door had opened suddenly. She quickly pulled down her sleeves, but when she looked up to see who the trespasser was, they were gone. She prayed that it was just an embarrassed intern who ran away upon discovering an attending in the closet. But no, it was Dr. Cox. And judging by his words, he knew exactly what she had been contemplating that day.

Suddenly furious, she pushed off the bed. "How dare you?" she asked quietly, her anger bubbling away just beneath the surface and heating her words. "What gives you the right to care about me? The only reason you're even talking to me now is because you think you can save me. You have a giant ego and a savior complex and a need to figure everything and everyone out. Well, I hate to break it to you, Dr. Cox, but you don't get to care about me. You forfeited that right years ago."

Elliot moved to stand directly in front of Cox, forcing him to meet her gaze. She pushed up her sleeves and held her arms out to him, showing him the pale, unmarred flesh of her forearms. "I didn't do anything that day, Dr. Cox," she said quietly, then lowered her arms and walked to the door, her heels tapping on the linoleum. Pulling it open, she paused in the frame to face him. "Thanks for caring," she spat sarcastically, then slammed the door behind her, leaving a speechless Dr. Cox in her wake.

**Love it? Hate it? Let me know by reviewing! :)  
**


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